MLA ticket controversy could force final out of Bengaluru:Playoffs likely to be played in Punjab and Karnataka

The IPL 2026 playoffs schedule, which has not been announced yet by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has appeared to hit a roadblock with uncertainty hovering over the venue for the final. This is because of an MLA ticket issue in Bengaluru. The Chinnaswamy Stadium is expected to host the IPL 2026 final on 31 May, going by the tradition of the summit clash being held at the home ground of the defending champions. Earlier, the BCCI had announced the schedule for the group stage, which comes to an end on 24 May with a clash between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Eden Gardens. ‘MLAs should get atleast 5 tickets’ According to a BCCI source, the IPL 2026 playoffs are set to be shared between last season’s finalists Karnataka and Punjab, but there are doubts over the venue for the final due to the MLA ticket controversy. Earlier, Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar claimed that MLAs were ‘VIPs’ who should get at least five IPL tickets each and should not have to wait in queues. Later, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that the MPs and MLAs would be given three tickets for RCB matches. And Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara clarified that these tickets, purchased online, were ‘non-transferable’, meaning that only MLAs and their family members could attend the matches. With this issue disrupting the scheduling of the IPL 2026 final, there remains a possibility of the final being shifted away from Bengaluru. “IPL 2026 playoffs and final venue will be announced soon. Matches likely to be divided into Punjab and Karnataka, the last time winner should host the final, but MLA ticket issue is creating problems in Bengaluru, and if there is no solution, then BCCI will move the final to another city,” the source said to ANI. Also read: WATCH | Rohit Sharma gets roaring reception at Wankhede return: Raghu Sharma wins hearts with ‘thank you’ celebration IPL 2025 final was shifted to Ahmedabad If the final is shifted away from Bengaluru, it would not be the first time that the summit clash would not be hosted in the home venue of the defending champions. In 2025, the final, which was supposed to be in Kolkata by virtue of KKR being the defending champions, was shifted to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This decision was taken by the BCCI due to the ‘early onset of the southwest monsoon’ in Kolkata. The decision was met with severe opposition from the West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas, who alleged the match was shifted due to political reasons. Which teams are in contention to qualify for IPL 2026 playoffs? As of now, no team has been mathematically ruled out of contention to make it to the IPL 2026 playoffs. Punjab Kings (13 points), defending champions RCB (12 points), Sunrisers Hyderabad (12 points) and Rajasthan Royals (12 points) sit in the top four spots on the points table. KKR (7 points), Mumbai Indians (6 points) and Lucknow Super Giants (4 points) occupy the last three spots on the points table and face a tougher road to the playoffs than the mid-table teams- Gujarat Titans (12 points), Chennai Super Kings (8 points) and the Delhi Capitals (8 points).